Assange Loses Extradition Case in High Court: ‘Retribution’ From USA?

May 30, 2012

Great Britain’s Surpreme Court ruled 5–2 today against Julian Assange, the WikiLeaks founder, in his long-running (since 2010) fight against extradition to Sweden related to possible charges in an infamous sex case. Assange, who has been under house arrest in England for the past year and a half, was not in court.

The court essentially found the Swedish public prosecutor in this case was indeed a “judicial authority” and so the European arrest warrant (EAW) issued was valid

“This is not the final outcome. What we have here is retribution from the US,” longtime WikiLeaks spokesperson Kristinn Hrafnsson told Reuters. The biggest fear for Assange supporters is that the US will more easily extradite him from Sweden (see the Justice for Assange site).

Assange is being allowed to stay in the UK for two weeks while his lawyers consider applying to the Supreme Court to reopen the case. Failing that, Assange could appeal to the European Court of Human Rights.

Greg MitchellTwitter Greg Mitchell writes a daily blog for The Nation focusing on media, politics and culture. He is the former editor of Editor & Publisher and author of thirteen books. His latest book, on the 2012 Obama-Romney race, is Tricks, Lies, and Videotape. His other books include Atomic Cover-Up, The Campaign of the Century (winner of the Goldsmith Book Prize), two books related to WikiLeaks and a pair of books with Robert Jay Lifton on Hiroshima and the death penalty in America. His Twitter feed is @GregMitch and he can be reached at: epic1934@aol.com. His personal blog is Pressing Issues.